---
name: Radio button
category: Forms
keywords:
  - RadioButton
  - selection
  - choices
  - options
  - pick
  - single selection form
  - choice form
  - option button
  - radio button form
---

# Radio button
Use radio buttons to present each item in a list of options where merchants must
make a single selection.

---

## Purpose

Put the merchant first by identifying the problem they face and the component that helps them solve it.

### Problem

Sometimes only one choice or option is available to merchants. There are only a few choices to display, and the [choice list component](/components/forms/choice-list) can’t be used.

### Solution

Radio buttons present multiple items and require merchants to pick only one thing from a list.

---

## Best practices

Radio buttons should:

* Always be used with an associated label component.
* Be part of a list of radio buttons that:
  * Include at least two or more choices.
  * Are used to have merchants select only one option.
  * Include mutually exclusive options—this means that each option must be
  independent from every other option in the list. For example: Red, blue, and
  yellow are mutually exclusive. Red, blue, yellow, red/blue are not mutually
  exclusive.
  * List options in a rational order that makes logical sense.

---

## Content guidelines

### Radio button labels

Radio button labels should:

* Be introduced with a colon or a heading
* Start with a capital letter

<!-- usagelist -->
#### Do
- Option 1

#### Don’t
- option 1
<!-- end -->

* Not end in punctuation if it’s a single sentence, word, or a fragment

<!-- usagelist -->
#### Do
- Red

#### Don’t
- Red;
<!-- end -->

## Examples

### Default radio button

Use radio buttons where merchants must make a single selection.

```jsx
class RadioButtonExample extends React.Component {
  state = {
    value: 'disabled',
  };

  handleChange = (checked, newValue) => {
    this.setState({value: newValue});
  }

  render() {
    const {value} = this.state;
    return (
      <Stack vertical>
        <RadioButton
          label="Accounts are disabled"
          helpText="Customers will only be able to check out as guests."
          checked={(value === 'disabled')}
          id="disabled"	
          name="accounts"
          onChange={this.handleChange}
        />
        <RadioButton
          label="Accounts are optional"
          helpText="Customers will be able to check out with a customer account or as a guest."
          id="optional"
          name="accounts"
          checked={(value === 'optional')}
          onChange={this.handleChange}
        />
      </Stack>
    );
  }
}
```

---

## Related components

* To make simple lists of radio buttons easier to build, [use the choice list component](/components/forms/choice-list)
* For long lists of options, [consider the select component](/components/forms/select) to avoid overwhelming merchants
* To present merchants with a list of checkboxes, [use the choice list component](/components/forms/choice-list) with the “allow multiple” option
* To display non-interactive list of related content, [use the content list component](/components/tables-and-lists/list)